Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS
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Mar 23, 2024 The podcast explores the legal battle over mifepristone, FDA approval, and telemedicine abortion, highlighting the impact on reproductive rights. Carrie N. Baker discusses the potential consequences of restricting access to abortion pills through mail. The show also covers legal challenges against former President Trump and his financial obligations.
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Case Targets Pills And The FDA, Not Just Roe
- The Mifepristone case targets medication abortion and the FDA's approval machinery, not just Roe-era surgical abortion fights.
- The suit could upend drug regulation, telemedicine, interstate care, and reproductive privacy nationwide.
Harassment Delayed Mifepristone's U.S. Launch
- Anti-abortion activists harassed executives and researchers in France when mifepristone was developed, delaying U.S. adoption.
- U.S. approval took over a decade and required nonprofits and small firms to shoulder trials and distribution amid threats.
FDA's Early Restrictions Were Defensive
- The FDA approved mifepristone with unusually strict distribution controls as a defensive response to political pressure.
- Those early 'belts-and-suspenders' restrictions were political, not purely scientific, and were loosened only years later.